Starting the circuit
Begin at the Black Stone corner, marked by a green light on the wall opposite. Face it, raise your hand toward it and say Bismillah, Allahu akbar. You do not need to touch or kiss it, attempting to in a crowd is how people get injured.
Keep the Kaaba on your left throughout. Seven complete circuits, each starting and ending at the Black Stone line.
Idtiba and ramal
Idtiba: men pass the rida under the right arm and over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. This is for the whole of tawaf.
Ramal: a brisk walk with short quick steps, for men, in the first three circuits only. In heavy crowds it is not possible and is simply omitted.
After the seventh circuit
Cover the right shoulder again, then pray two rakah behind Maqam Ibrahim if you can reach it, anywhere in the Mataf is acceptable when it is crowded. Then drink Zamzam.
Multazam, between the Black Stone and the door of the Kaaba, is a place where supplication is reported to be accepted, but reaching it is rarely possible.
Which floor to use
The ground-floor Mataf is the shortest circuit and the most congested. The first floor is roughly double the distance but often half the time at peak. The roof is longer still and calmest.
There is a dedicated accessible level for wheelchairs and electric carts, markedly less congested at every hour.
At Ramadan peak, the roof between 01:00 and 03:00 is the only reliably passable option.
Common questions
How do you perform tawaf?
Begin at the Black Stone corner, marked by a green light on the opposite wall, and face it saying Bismillah, Allahu akbar. Keep the Kaaba on your left and complete seven anticlockwise circuits, each starting and ending at the Black Stone line. Then pray two rakah behind Maqam Ibrahim and drink Zamzam water.
Do you have to touch the Black Stone during tawaf?
No. Pointing toward it from a distance with the hand raised is sufficient and is what most pilgrims do. Attempting to reach and kiss it in a crowded Mataf is a common cause of injury and is not required for a valid tawaf.
How long does tawaf take?
Forty-five minutes in quiet conditions, around 90 minutes at moderate density, and up to two and a half hours at Ramadan peak. Using the first floor roughly doubles the walking distance but often halves the time when the ground floor is congested.
What is ramal in tawaf?
Ramal is a brisk walk with short quick steps, performed by men in the first three circuits of tawaf only. Idtiba, passing the rida under the right arm to leave the right shoulder bare, applies throughout. In heavy crowds ramal is not possible and is simply omitted.